Thousands of cell phone and landline phone users had their service delayed, disrupted or cut-off on Tuesday after investigators found fiber optic lines destroyed in San Joaquin County.

Thousands of cell phone and landline phone users had their service delayed, disrupted or cut-off on Tuesday after investigators found fiber optic lines destroyed in San Joaquin County.

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Updated: 1:11 PM PDT Jul 15, 2015

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WEBVTT WHICH COULD BE A TOUGH TASK. THOUSANDS OF CELL PHONE AND LANDLINE PHONE USERS FOUND THEIR SERVICE DELAYED, DISRUPTED OR CUTOFF THIS MORNING AFTER INVESTIGATORS FOUND FIBER OPTIC LINES CUT IN SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY. THAT ALSO CAUSED SOME TO LOSE THE ABILITY TO CALL 9-1-1. KCRA3'S MELINDA MEZA HAS CONTINUED TO GATHER NEW INFORMATION OF WHAT HAPPENED. MELINDA? MELINDA: WE CAN TELL YOU CREWS ARE STILL OUT HERE WORKING ON THE LINES HERE IN FRENCH CAMP. THEY WERE HERE FOR SEVERAL HOURS THIS MORNING AND THEY ARE STILL HERE AT THIS HOUR. THE LATEST WORD FROM AT&T IS THAT THIS WAS DEFINITELY VANDALISM AND THEY ARE CALLING IT DANGEROUS. THE LINES WERE CUT LAST NIGHT, DISRUPTING SERVICE TO THOUSANDS, INCLUDING THOSE TRYING TO MAKE 911 EMERGENCY CALLS LIKE YOU SAID. BOTH LOCAL AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS ARE NOW INVESTIGATING. I SAW -- I TALKED TO A SPOKESPERSON AT AT&T AND HE SAID THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY INDICATION OF COPPER THEFT. IT APPEARS TO BP OR VANDALISM AND HE ALSO SAID THAT VANDALISM IS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE AT LARGE. THIS HAS AFFECTED BUSINESS IN THE AREA AS WELL. ONE BUSINESS OWNERS SAID THEY HAD TO SHUT DOWN OR THE DAY. IT IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING, EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING, DAMAGE LIKE THIS. WE ALSO HAD TO PUT IN A $120,000 BACKUP GENERATOR BECAUSE OUR UTILITIES GO OUT REGULARLY. MELINDA: THAT BUSINESS OWNER TELLS US THAT THE LINES WERE CUT ABOUT A MONTH AGO HERE IN THE FRENCH CAMP AREA, AND IT HAS HAPPENED IN THE BAY AREA AS WELL AS OTHER PLACES. AN INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY WITH BOTH FEDERAL AND LOCAL OFFICIALS. WE DID REACH OUT TO THE SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. THEY AT THE DEPARTMENT HAD THEIR SERVICE INTERRUPTED AS WELL. THIS IS POSING QUITE A DANGER IN THE COUNTY. MIKE:

Thousands affected after fiber optic lines cut in SJ County

Thousands of cell phone and landline phone users had their service delayed, disrupted or cut-off on Tuesday after investigators found fiber optic lines destroyed in San Joaquin County.